These twin sisters have shared everything in their livesâbut they didnât plan on becoming pregnant at the same time, until they find themselvesâ¦
Lianne hasnât found Mr. Right, but sheâs longing to have a baby before itâs too late!
Her sister, Annalise, has the perfect life: a sexy husband, a fabulous home and a great career. But when she made her wedding vows, she also made a pact with her husbandâtheirs would always be a family of two!
Find out what happens to Annalise next month when she and her husband find themselves:
Parents in Training
Dear Reader,
Iâve always been fascinated by twins, wondering how it would feel to have someone in my life who looked exactly like I do. I have heard of a special bond between twins, and so began to explore the story idea of twin sisters who want different things out of life and yet end up in similar situations.
Lianne OâMallory is the single twin who longs for a baby. She has a medical problem thatâs getting worse. A ticking clock, much earlier than most women face it, adds to the urgency of becoming pregnant. But sheâs particular. She doesnât want just anyone to father her baby. She makes a list of the appealing attributes sheâd like for the father of her child, and is shocked when her boss reads it and volunteers.
Lianneâs twin, Annalise, has been married for five years. Early in her relationship with her husband, they decided not to have children. Unexpectedly, Annalise becomes pregnant, and suddenly her plans for the future change drastically. The only problem is her husbandâs views have not changed.
United, the sisters work out solutions to their situations that promise a happy future for all.
Though each twin has her own story, these stories are closely intertwined, just like twins.
If you are a twin, I hope I captured the special bond you have with your double. If youâre not a twin, come explore that special tie in these stories.
All the best,
Barbara
Barbara McMahon
The Pregnancy Promise
Barbara McMahon was born and raised in the South, but settled in California after spending a year flying around the world for an international airline. She later settled down to raise a family and work for a computer firm, and began writing when her children started school. Now, feeling fortunate that sheâs been able to realize a long-held dream of quitting her day job and writing full-time, she and her husband have moved to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, where she finds her desire to write is stronger than ever. With the beauty of the mountains visible from her windows and the pace of life slower than that of the hectic San Francisco Bay Area, where they previously resided, she finds more time than ever to think up stories and characters, and share them with others through writing. Barbara loves to hear from readers. You can reach her at P.O. Box 977, Pioneer, CA 95666-0977, U.S.A.
Readers can also contact Barbara at her Web site, www.barbaramcmahon.com.
To Bridgette Anne Hessler,
the newest in our family, with lots of love
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
LIANNE OâMALLORY sat bundled up in an old quilt. The wind blew from the sea, the tang of salt filling the air. It was too cold to be outside, but she snuggled in the warmth of the quilt and stared out at the gray sea. It had been raining until a half hour ago. The gray skies looked as if they melded into the water at the horizon. It was a dreary day. One that suited her mood to perfection. Tears welled again. Sniffing, she refused to cry.
Staring over the deserted beach from the family cottage, she tried to make her mind go blankâbut the doctorâs words echoed over and over. Her recommendationâa hysterectomy. Lianne blinked back the tears. She was only twenty-eight, far too young to face this. Never married, she still held the hope sheâd find the man of her dreams one day and get married and start a family. That wouldnât happen if she had the operation. Sheâd thought she had all the time in the world. Instead she was limited to months.
The painful menstrual cramps and heavy bleeding contributed to her being almost incapacitated several days each month. If she wanted relief from the pain, this was the option her physician recommended. She snuggled against the hot water bottle pressed to her abdomen. Pills and heat helped, but nothing fully relieved the pain.
Not that sheâd get an operation based on one doctorâs opinion. Lianne believed Dr. Wright, however, and expected a second and even third doctor to support her prognosis. But not yet. She couldnât bear to end all hope of having a family one day. She had already made an appointment with another ObGyn. But she knew it was only a matter time. Her doctor would not have recommended the procedure if she hadnât been certain it was the only option left.
The pronouncement had been unexpected. Visiting the doctor yesterday afternoon, sheâd been hoping for a new treatment, something that would work after five years of trying different medication. But the miracle she hoped for hadnât appeared. Each month the pain grew worse. This month sheâd been driven to the doctorâs again. Too distraught to even think after the doctorâs recommendation, sheâd hopped in her car and driven to the beach; to the cottage that had been in her family since her grandfather had been a little boy. It was a refuge, a haven. She sorely needed some time to come to terms with the change in her life.